Father And Son Dead, Wife Shot In Apparent Murder-Suicide In Juniata

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Philadelphia police are investigating an apparent murder-suicide in which a young boy was killed.

It was about 1 a.m. when police got a call for a man with a gun inside a home near the corner of ‘I’ Street and Erie Avenue in the city’s Juniata section.

As they arrived on the scene, they heard gunshots from inside the home. Officers immediately took action, went inside and found what they describe as a violent and tragic scene.

“Whenever you have three shooting victims and a lot of blood, it’s a horrific scene,” Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said.

A 41-year-old woman, identified by police as Jessica Harkins, was found at the top of the steps with two gunshot wounds to the back of her head. She was rushed to Temple University Hospital.

Police then found a 10-year-old boy, identified by police as Jake Harkins, in his bed, shot once in the head. Forty-eight-year-old Robert Harkins was found on the floor next to him, with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his head.

Police say the man was the boy’s father, and both of them were pronounced dead at the scene.

Police say the woman was the wife and mother. She had two gunshot wounds, but her condition was improving. By late morning, her condition was upgraded from critical to stable.

Two other people were in the home at the time, but were not hurt, and both were talking to detectives.

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Jim Melwert is the Suburban Bureau chief for KYW Newsradio 1060, based at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa.
A graduate of Perkiomen Valley High School, in Montgomery County, Melwert has a journalism degree from Te...